Guy
Happy New Year Everyone! Hope that everyone had a great and safe time on New Year’s Eve! We did! Spent time with my date, Landon Dowdy, my Mom, and one of my best friends and her family. Landon said he was going to stay up all night long. He made it past midnight he said Nana can we watch cartoons in your bed but I am not going to sleep. I said sure. Bless his heart he laid down and said I am not going to sleep and he was out within 4 minutes. Love my little darling.
We had our usually blackeyed peas, hog jowl, cabbage, fried potatoes and cornbread. Dana and Jerry came and ate with Landon and me. I took Mom a plate after they left. Mom and I spent the rest of the evening watching TV and talking.
Hope everyone has electricity back on now. We were fortunate to have not lost any power. Everyone showed up at my house about 11 or 11:30 a.m. on Christmas Day and all was gone by 1:30 or 2 p.m. because of the weather. Mom ended up staying at my house till Sunday Night. It was nice but she was glad to get to her home that was sure. I would like to say thank you to all the linemen that worked to get all the electricity back on. We seem to take for granted the things we have until it is gone. Those men worked long hours and spent time away from their families to help others. Hats off to all of them. My sister and her family were without electricity in Sardis for a while.
I was good last year after Christmas, cause the roads was bad I never went in a store so I didn’t take advantage of any bargains, saved some money that way that I didn’t need to spend. Might regret later but right now I don’t. I used to find lots of bargains for the next year but it wasn’t worth getting out and sliding in the ditch or falling and breaking something.
I truly enjoyed my family during the holidays hope you did the same.
Don’t forget your invited to the Polar Plunge for Area 17 Special Olympics on Jan. 26 at Woolly Hollow State Park. There will be a dessert auction too that day so if your not brave enough to plunge donate a dessert for a good cause. Call me at 679-3299 or 450-0395 and I will pick up. Let me win! If i cannot win! Let me be brave in the attempt!
Bobby and Annette Wilson had her family over for New Year’s Dinner and served the usual and had a great time visiting.
Please send me news of your visitors and what you did over the holidays. I can’t share news if I don’t know it.
Happy Birthday to Tracy Dowdy and Sherry Dowdy they were both born on New Years Day! Didn’t realize that till this year. I enjoyed talking to Tracy yesterday!
Please keep the following in your prayers, Wilma Stevenson, Frankee D Battles, Betty Griffith, Montene Tarkington, and any one else that has been sick or has lost a loved one recently.
Centerville
One of my favorite things about Christmas break is the time off to rest and enjoy my family. This Christmas made for a beautiful Centerville with quite a gift of snow. Darrel had to work so the kids and I were on our own but we played in the snow and watched our dogs romp and play. My 8 year old Boxer turned into a new puppy when she ran outside and discovered the snow. She kicked up snow as she ran circles all around and I am sure she ate her weight in the white flakes.
We saw a large crowd for our Children’s Christmas program at church. Thank you to Erin Shaw for being our fearless leader and helping the kids recreate the Christmas Story. Attendance last Sunday was down a little in comparison but we still held our own. Our service this week will be followed by our monthly potluck and we welcome extra company.
Having not left the house much during my break, I am not aware of news from the Centerville community. Having said that, Centerville was a beautiful place to be snowed in and I am thankful that we didn’t lose power. If you have news, please email me at jennfreeman@windstream.net.
Holland
Snow, snow, snow, will our grandchildren remember to tell about the big snow on Christmas night in 2012?
I’ve never like snow, because it is so cold, and I’m cold natured. And another thing, in grade school many years ago, the boys would chase the girls and hit us with snow balls or want to roll us in the snow. So that’s why I hated snow. But now it’s different all these years later when it’s beautiful, falling on the cedar and pine trees. They are decorated by the one and only master painter.
Remember in the summer when we needed rain so bad - we prayed for it? The earth is surely getting wet now. I pray for the ones without power, and wonder how they are enduring it. We are thankful for all the help from other states and places who have come to help get the electricity back on. At this writing there are still thousands without electricity. May God give them strength to overcome this.
There were a lot of family get-togethers at Christmas. We enjoyed our family, although some were sick and didn’t get to attend. Our family always comes back for the traditional meal on New Year’s Day too. Some are still sick, but we hope and pray that all make it, if possible.
Bobi Hendrickson drove to Russellville to be with her daughter and family for Christmas. But she returned back home a little earlier that the day they planned because the bad weather was on its way.
Lewis Jay and Sandra Cardin and Betty Applegate enjoyed their family over the Christmas holiday. Judy Cardin of Conway visited in the Earnhart-McGinty home and brought goodies, Christmas.
I need you neighbors to send me your news. I have been down for some time and haven’t seen anyone in the community and missed church so much and the news is scarce. But the Lord willing, I hope to be better soon. I will have a hip replacement in another week. I appreciate your prayers. Friends and relatives don’t visit, if there is danger of spreading germs.
And remember Christ is God’s most wonderful gift to the world.
God Bless you all and have a Happy and prosperous New Year.
Shady Grove
Christmas and New Year’s Day has come and gone. I hope you and your families had a wonderful time over the holidays. We were blessed to have all of our children, grandchildren, and greats with us on Christmas morning for our Christmas Breakfast and gift opening. They were all gone by 11 a.m. so I had plenty of time to clean up and get ready to watch the rain, sleet and snow, which was a beautiful winter wonderland sight the next morning.
Second and third generations of the late Daniel and Victoria Newberry McKaskle met at the home of Barbara and Wimp Glover for lunch Thursday, Dec. 13. Those attending were Hattie Lee Hankins, Helen Ann Tindall, Gale Garrison, Jimmie Lee Merritt of Greenbrier, Janis Mack and Joyce Nell Garrison of Conway.
Gale and Carl Garrison were Christmas Day visitors of Todd and Whitney Eason and Ronny and Carol Eason in Conway.
Family members of the late Harrell Dean and Treva Sims Henry met Christmas Eve at the Central Baptist Church Youth Room in Conway for breakfast and gift exchange. Those attending were Fred and Joy Wiedower, Loren and Julie Kaylor, Anna Ruth Kennedy, Johnny, Will and Elizabeth Kennedy, all of Conway, Wendell and Joyce Talley, James, Janet and John Spotts, all of Vilonia, Chad and Ginnie Hensley of Maumelle, and Gale and Carl Garrison.
Bill and I spent this past weekend in Dumas with my niece, Nelline Freeman, for our family Christmas. Also spending the weekend were my brother and wife, Thomas and Bonnie McFalls of Dumas, sister, Polly McGhee of Star City, and sister-in-law Joyce McFalls of Pine Bluff.
Bill and I drove to Oklahoma City Dec. 18 to bring Chelsey home for Christmas, so she and Chris would not have two cars here. I guess it was meant to be, because on her way to work on Friday morning, a driver ran a red light and took the entire front off of her car. Thank God, she was only bruised and bumped from being thrown into the side of the car. Her feet were trapped and they had to get them loose. After being checked out at the hospital we were on our way home by noon.
Dean and Marlene Patton hosted a party on New Year’s day for their friends. There were 11 guests there who enjoyed lots of food and playing games.
Does anyone reading this have any information on the location of Iva Sue and Thelma Fudge? Bill got an e-mail request from a distant relative of theirs trying to find them. If so, e-mail me at blove2@windstream.net.
Family and friends of Shane Atkinson and Sarah Murray are invited to their wedding today at 6 p.m. at Bethlehem Baptist Church in the Shady Grove Community of Greenbrier.
Gale, it looks like you and I are the only ones that did anything for Christmas and New Year’s. No one has sent me anything.
Mike, Susan, Chelsey, Tyler, and Scott Cavin, and Chris Groh, all went to Hot Springs to have family Christmas with his sister, Kelly Greenwood.